


bound to you

by mullethyuck



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, College, Contracts, Deal with a Devil, Demons, Going to Hell, M/M, Rituals, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, This Is STUPID, alternatively titled: fuck it up hyucketh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26927077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mullethyuck/pseuds/mullethyuck
Summary: Jaemin has friends in low places. Donghyuck just wants to pass organic chemistry.They figure it out, eventually.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Na Jaemin
Comments: 23
Kudos: 199
Collections: Challenge #2 — tricks; treats; and terrors





	bound to you

**Author's Note:**

> i don't think the "struggling college student summons a demon to help them out" trope is as popular as it used to be and ngl i kinda miss it so here we are!
> 
> huge shoutout to my lovely beta [ti](https://twitter.com/noceur_ti?s=21), without whom this whole thing would be a lot more of a mess <3
> 
> and as usual i got the title from a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJSRxoVLZXU) because i had nectar on repeat while i wrote this lmao

Jaemin can sense when someone is drawing his sigil.

He’s used to being summoned; as one of the more powerful demons in his jurisdiction, his sigil is one of the most readily available options out there. Humans know of him, even if they don’t believe in him. They’re afraid of him, even if they can’t pinpoint why. It’s that carnal fear of the unknown―of beings too powerful to fully comprehend.

So why does Jaemin feel so uneasy? He knows something is off; he’s seen his fair share of botched contracts. He remembers the way it feels to have his sacred symbol ruined by a stray line or a poorly drawn circle. Normally all it does is piss him off enough to send a hellhound in his place out of spite, just to give the human bigger problems to worry about than whatever mediocre dilemma they’d been trying to seek his help with in the first place. This time, though, all he feels is a sense of impending doom.

Impending doom, as it turns out, manifests in the form of a human he’s never seen before materializing right in the middle of Jaemin’s living room.

Jaemin is minding his own business, plotting new ways to wreak havoc on humanity, and he’s halfway through a particularly convoluted plan to drive up gas prices even higher when he hears a _poof!_ and a crash as a boy he’s never seen before tumbles onto the carpet. Jaemin thanks Lucifer that he’s more graceful about it when he appears in the mortal realm.

He looks down at the human, shutting his notebook as it vanishes into thin air. “Is this normally how it works?” the human asks, standing up and dusting his jeans off, even though it’s useless. The denim is stained with scorch marks forever now, and good fucking luck washing the smell of sulfur out. “I thought you were supposed to come to me.”

Jaemin squints at him but doesn’t move to stand up. “I am,” he mutters from his spot, “if you summon me correctly.”

“Oh,” the human says intelligently. “Did I not?” He looks around, as if he’s finally realizing exactly where he is. His face falls.

And Jaemin may be a demon, but he isn’t heartless. He stands up to sling an arm around the human’s shoulders, smiling big and bright, revealing all three rows of pointy teeth. “No,” he says, tone placating. “But if you tell me what you did, maybe we can―”

“I followed the instructions in the book, I swear,” the human cuts in, almost like he’s afraid Jaemin will be angry at his mishap. And well, every demon has a healthy dose of wrath, but Jaemin isn’t inclined to use it unless it’s warranted. So far, he thinks this human might prove to be more entertaining than anything else.

“Right,” is all he says. “Hey―” he pauses, realizing he doesn’t know the human’s name.

“Donghyuck,” is the answer he gets.

Jaemin nods in acknowledgement. “Hey, Hyuck, relax. Sit with me.” He plops back onto the sofa, bodily dragging Donghyuck down onto the cushions with him. He runs what he hopes is a soothing hand up and down Donghyuck’s arm. “Just tell me what happened, from the beginning.”

Donghyuck shrugs, stuttering out a sigh. “I dunno. I got this old book from the library―” _It’s always the book from the library, isn’t it?_ “―and I chose the only sigil that I recognized. I drew it on my bathroom floor, and I said the words in the book, but then I ended up here.”

Jaemin hums. There’s a lot to unpack. “Do you know where you are?”

Donghyuck huffs. “I have an idea, yeah.”

Jaemin smiles again, and Donghyuck squirms under his gaze. “You’re in Hell, babe. I don’t know what, but you clearly did _something_ wrong if you’re here and I’m not up there.” He points to the ceiling, for emphasis. Donghyuck gets the point.

 _“How?”_ Donghyuck asks, clearly exasperated at this turn of events. Jaemin can feel the stress rolling off of him in waves.

“I have no idea,” he reiterates. “I’ve never seen somebody fuck up this bad before.” Donghyuck frowns at him, so Jaemin moves on. “Why were you trying to make a pact with me, anyway?”

Donghyuck looks down at his hands, fidgeting with his crooked pinky. “I’m failing organic chemistry. The final is in two days.”

Jaemin almost laughs, but stops himself. It’s not the worst reason he’s heard for summoning demonic powers of hell, but it definitely seems like overkill. “Well―”

“You have to help me get back home,” Donghyuck interrupts again, turning to plead with Jaemin. “I can’t miss the test.” He grabs Jaemin’s hand where it’s still slung over his shoulders, shaking it a little in his urgency.

Jaemin does laugh, now. “You have bigger problems than that, babe. Like the fact you’re stuck in Hell, for starters.” He gestures vaguely with the arm Donghyuck doesn’t have in his grip. “Plus, this is way outta my jurisdiction. If you need help with school, you should’ve asked Jeno, not me.”

Donghyuck barely has time to blurt, “Who?” before there’s a little puff of smoke and Jaemin’s eternal best friend and partner in sin is standing two feet in front of them.

“Hey, Jen,” he says before turning to Donghyuck. “Speak of the devil.”

“Hey, Nana,” Jeno says offhandedly. He turns to Donghyuck, flashing his most endearing eye smile in an effort to soothe the human’s obvious nerves. It doesn’t work, considering he can’t stop the trickle of blood running from his eyes no matter how hard he grins, but he tries. “And you are?”

“Donghyuck,” Donghyuck says, curling into Jaemin’s side almost imperceptibly.

“A human?” Jeno asks, addressing Jaemin now. “A _live_ human?” he clarifies, and Jaemin nods. “How’d you manage that?”

“I didn’t manage anything.” Jaemin counters. “He―”

“I think I drew the sigil backwards,” Donghyuck interjects. “I had the book on the floor when I drew it―tried to copy it looking at it upside down. I don’t think it worked.” He shrugs a shoulder, jostling Jaemin’s arm.

“No, I don’t think it did.” Jeno’s smiling again, but this time it looks a lot more devilish. “So what are you gonna do about it?”

Jaemin rolls his eyes. “Try to send him back, obviously. This isn’t even a binding contract.”

“Maybe it is, though,” Jeno muses, and Jaemin cocks an eyebrow. “But like, mirrored, y’know? Like the sigil.”

“So what’s your point?” Jaemin asks, because Donghyuck still isn’t saying anything. Jaemin thinks maybe the reality of what he’s gotten himself into is starting to really sink in. Poor dude.

“I mean, have you tried doing the opposite of what you’d normally do?”

Jaemin furrows his brow. “No. Normally we’d make a pact and I’d do whatever he asked, then he’d give me his soul and that’s the end of it. We can’t make a pact in reverse.”

Donghyuck perks up at that. “Wait, maybe we can!” Jeno and Jaemin both turn to look at him, and Jaemin has to crane his neck but it’s fine. Donghyuck’s pouting as he thinks, and it reminds Jaemin how cute humans can be sometimes. “What if you get me to do something for you instead?” Donghyuck asks as he looks up to meet Jaemin’s eyes.

Jaemin’s eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline. “You? Do something for _me?”_ he parrots, just to make sure. Donghyuck nods. “What could you possibly do for me?”

“How would I know that?” Donghyuck huffs right as Jeno mutters, “Your claws need some fucking work, dude.”

Jaemin sighs. “It’s worth a try, I guess.”

It ends up being worth several tries, actually. At Jeno’s suggestion, Donghyuck spends a solid half hour shaping and painting Jaemin’s claws (“You paint your nails black? They aren’t just...like that?” “No, I’m just committed to the goth aesthetic.”). Nothing happens, so then he sharpens Jaemin’s pitchfork, because while it’s great for the overall image it doesn’t actually get much use and it’s seen better days. That doesn’t send Donghyuck back either, so _then_ he tries polishing Jaemin’s horns with more force than is strictly necessary; and they look immaculate by the time he’s finished, Jeno can practically see his reflection in them, but Donghyuck is still standing in Jaemin’s living room and none of them know what to do about it.

Cue Jeno’s most evil suggestion yet: filing Jaemin’s fangs. Jaemin’s fine with it; he really hates to do it himself because it’s hard to get the back row, and it’s nearly impossible to see what he’s doing even with a mirror. It’s a pain in the ass, basically.

Right about now though, Jaemin would tolerate said pain in the ass if it would put him out of his current misery. Misery that includes Donghyuck straddling his lap and cradling his jaw with one hand to hold it steady while he shoves a file halfway down Jaemin’s throat. Jaemin is a tame demon, very well behaved if he may say so himself, but even he has his limits. He’s this close to eating Donghyuck whole, and Jeno knows it. He won’t stop snickering in the corner, the little shit.

This is how Renjun, the third in their hellish trio and Jaemin’s recently promoted best friend, finds them thirty minutes later: Jaemin on the couch with a lapful of a human he’s never seen before, Jeno leaning against the wall across the room looking like the cat that got the canary, and aforementioned human sawing away at Jaemin’s teeth like his life depends on it. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose before anybody even has the chance to react to his materialization.

“What the fuck are you idiots doing?” he says by way of greeting, which isn’t that out of the norm, really.

“Hi, Junnie!” Jaemin says around the hand in his mouth. Or well, that’s what it sounds like he’s trying to say. Jeno just nods at Renjun, too entertained by the situation at hand to bother with much else.

“I accidentally sent myself down here trying to summon Jaemin,” the human says, unfazed. “I’m Donghyuck,” he adds as he finishes with Jaemin’s teeth and sits back, supporting his weight on Jaemin’s thighs.

Jaemin kind of wants to die, but he can’t because he’s immortal. He also kind of wants to dig his claws into Donghyuck’s thighs, but he can’t do that either because they have bigger issues at hand. 

Renjun watches as the other three freeze for a split second before collectively sighing in defeat. Donghyuck’s pouting again, and Jaemin lets out a dejected, “Shit,” under his breath as Jeno gets that glint in his eye that means he’s up to no good.

“That didn’t answer my question,” Renjun says, because he still isn’t entirely sure what the other three think they’re accomplishing here.

“We think maybe if Hyuck does something for me, it’ll be like the contract is backwards too, and then he can go home,” Jaemin so helpfully provides, mostly to distract himself from the fact that Donghyuck still hasn’t bothered to climb out of his lap.

“Oh,” Renjun says blandly. “You’re trying to send him home?”

Jeno nods. “Have been for hours. Nothing’s worked.”

Renjun stares at them like he thinks they’re the stupidest beings alive for much too long for it to be comfortable. “Just make him do something he has to go to Earth for, then,” he says flatly. “Send him home yourself, dumbass.”

Jaemin and Donghyuck lock eyes for a split second before they both turn to look at Jeno, then Renjun, then back at each other. 

“Oh,” Jaemin says softly. Donghyuck tilts his head expectantly at him as Renjun takes a step back to watch the scene unfold beside Jeno. 

“Hyuck, will you get me a glass of water?” Jaemin asks unceremoniously.

Simple, yet effective. Demons don’t really have many options for hydration, what with all the hellfire around.

Donghyuck’s face breaks out into a grin as he nods, finally climbing off of Jaemin to stand in the center of the room. “Sure,” he says casually, and then he’s gone.

He’s gone and that's fine―perfect even, except for the fact that Jaemin goes _with_ him.

Not even a moment later he finds himself standing in the middle of a cozy apartment he’s never seen before that he can only presume belongs to Donghyuck. In hindsight they probably should have seen this coming; as it is, Jaemin just stands in Donghyuck’s living room and watches him putter around the kitchen, humming under his breath as he grabs a glass and fills it with water. 

It’s strangely domestic in a way most of Jaemin’s interactions with humans aren’t, and as Donghyuck crosses the room to hold the glass out for him with an absentminded smile, he wonders if moments like these are what make a human’s life worthwhile.

“Thanks,” Jaemin says as he takes the glass. Their fingers brush, and Jaemin pointedly ignores it. Donghyuck just smiles at him. Jaemin takes a sip, grimacing at the cool liquid, and waits.

Nothing happens. No instant transport back to Hell. No sign of a contract fulfilled whatsoever. Jaemin just stands there restlessly, tail swishing, as Donghyuck looks mildly perplexed. Jaemin looks around like he expects the answer to be written on the wall, but what he finds instead is his bungled sigil messily scrawled on the tile of Donghyuck’s bathroom floor through the open door.

“Well,” he says when they’ve both pondered long enough for the silence to get awkward, “Guess I should go, then?”

For a moment, Jaemin thinks Donghyuck looks almost disappointed. “Yeah, I guess you should."

Jaemin nods, setting the glass down on the coffee table. “Good luck on your test, Hyuck. Sorry I couldn’t help.” He holds out a hand, and Donghyuck takes it. He yanks it hard enough that Jaemin stumbles forward into his arms.

“I had fun, anyway,” Donghyuck says into Jaemin’s neck. “If I had to fuck up anybody’s sigil, I’m glad it was yours.”

Jaemin wraps his arms around Donghyuck’s torso, squeezing lightly so their chests are flush. “Me too, babe. Me, too.” He pulls back, giving Donghyuck’s shoulders a little pat. “Seriously, though, next time you need help with school, try Jeno’s sigil,” he adds with a wink.

Donghyuck shakes his head, laughing. “Don’t worry, Jaem. You’re the only devil I’ll make a deal with.”

“Good to hear.” Jaemin steps back, flashing Donghyuck one last toothy grin. “See you in eternity, maybe.” He throws up a peace sign, then he’s back in his own living room, facing his two best friends in the whole wide underworld.

Jeno and Renjun look up from where they’ve relocated to lounge on the couch, and their eyes widen the moment they see Jaemin. “You’re back?” Jeno asks, and he doesn’t quite sound shocked, but it’s clear he wasn’t expecting this turn of events.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Jaemin counters, cocking an eyebrow.

“Not you, dumbass,” Renjun huffs. He jerks his chin in the general direction of everything behind Jaemin. “We’re just surprised to see _both_ of you.”

Jaemin whirls around, and sure enough, Donghyuck is standing right behind him―so close that Jaemin’s shoulder bumps into his chest with the movement. “Hey,” he says nonchalantly, eyes fond even in the shitty lighting of hell. “I guess you can’t get rid of me that easy.”

“It makes sense, actually,” Renjun says as Jaemin just keeps staring like the fool he is. “You need a soul to pay for favours, and demons don’t have souls. No matter how much Donghyuck does for you, you’ll never be able to pay him back.”

Donghyuck’s eyes light up the same moment Jaemin realizes the implications of what Renjun’s just said. “You mean to tell me,” Jaemin says, turning to face his friends, “that we’re stuck like this forever?”

Jeno squints at him. “Yeah. Why do you sound so happy about that?”

“Do you know what this means?” Jaemin asks, completely ignoring Jeno to meet Donghyuck’s eyes again.

“We beat the system!” Donghyuck whoops, pulling Jaemin in for another hug. “Oh my god, this is so cool. Imagine all the shit we can do for each other―”

Jaemin is smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. “And we can travel back and forth between Earth and Hell whenever we want―”

Donghyuck bounces up and down, jostling Jaemin in the process. “And I don’t even have to sell my soul to do it―”

Jaemin spins him around giddily. “And I don’t ever have to make another contract again!”

Renjun clears his throat, halting their celebration in its tracks. “Not to kill the mood, or anything, but don’t you still have a midterm to study for?” He gives Donghyuck a pointed look. “You should probably, you know, do that before you use this new power for world domination, or whatever.”

Donghyuck nods, letting go of Jaemin, his gaze never leaving Jaemin’s eyes. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Y’know,” Jaemin stage whispers, like he’s divulging an incredible secret, “I have this friend who’s _really_ smart, and I bet you could convince him to help you cram.”

They both look at Jeno simultaneously, and Jaemin gives him his best puppy dog eyes that no one can resist, not even Lucifer himself. Seeing that―coupled with the mighty pout Donghyuck is directing at him―Jeno gets the feeling that he never stood a chance in the first place. “Fine, I’ll help.” He sighs. “You gotta study here, though. Jaemin can go to Earth with you, but I can’t.”

Jaemin slings an arm over Donghyuck’s shoulders as Donghyuck snakes his own around his waist. Jaemin looks down to shoot Donghyuck a wink, which earns him a tiny giggle and the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen.

“Hey Hyuckie, can you grab your organic chemistry textbook for me?”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to the mods for another fun round!! i had a blast as always <3
> 
> nahyuck nation let's be [moots](https://twitter.com/mullethyuck)!!


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